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Bill to make Daylight Saving Time permanent passes Senate, heads to House
The Senate unanimously approved a measure Tuesday that would make daylight saving time permanent across the United States next year.
WASHINGTON - Lawmakers in the Senate overwhelmingly agreed that the time has come to end the practice of setting clocks back an hour each fall.
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Senators unanimously passed the bipartisan "Sunshine Protection Act" Tuesday. The bill still needs approval from the House, and the signature of President Joe Biden, to become law.
The ritual of falling back in the U.S. started in 1918 during World War I as a way to conserve fuel. Lawmakers are citing the benefits of having more daylight. But health experts warn about the downsides of losing even an hour of sleep every year.
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The American Academy of Sleep Medicine supports a year-round fixed national clock.
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FOX 5's Mike Thomas took a look at the Sunshine Protection Act and said if it were passed this would be the time schedule we would need to get used to in the D.C. region:
Earliest Summer Sunrise: 5:42 a.m.
Latest Summer Sunset: 8:37 p.m.
Latest Winter Sunrise: 8:27 a.m.
Earliest Winter Sunset: 5:45 p.m.
Sunshine Protection Act
The U.S. has tried to ditch switching time before. In fact, at least 18 states have already passed laws or resolutions to permanently switch to Daylight Saving Time. But, they can't adopt the changes until federal law changes.
The bill would allow Hawaii and Arizona, which do not observe daylight saving time, to remain on standard time.